Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Six
positions are being eliminated: the manager of IS in Yellowknife, an assistant deputy minister position in Yellowknife, an executive secretary position in Yellowknife, an oil and gas specialist in Inuvik, a Mackenzie Valley pipeline officer specialist position in Hay River and a corporate service clerk in Norman Wells. All positions are vacant: three in Yellowknife, three in other communities. In addition to these six, the BDIC is also reducing one position. The position is a manager, Canada Business Centre, and that position has an incumbent.
Our approach was to look at vacant positions, and the process that we went through is that there are no positions with affected employees in the 2008–2009 budget. Upon notification of the proposed reductions, ITI senior management locked down to review all programs and services areas. Certain programs and services were identified as to be excluded because of recently made commitments;
for example, support to tourism diversification, support to entrepreneurial and economic development programs, Take a Kid Trapping. We looked at programs where activity or subscription levels had decreased, where program reductions would have less of an effect on services to communities. We avoided any areas where recent, major strategic areas were announced; for example, the energy plan, Tourism 2010, the business program review. We avoided any areas where there is a legislative requirement. We asked: could the department continue to operate without this program and service? Throughout the process we kept watch on the people and positions and tried to avoid any position cuts that involved a layoff. Proposals were consolidated and provided to the FMBS for FMB consideration. That was the process we used, Mr. Chairman.